Has your website been designed with user needs in mind? This is the biggest challenge that too many businesses face. They make their website all about them – it’s great to be clear on what you want users to do when they get to your website, but you also need to understand why they are coming there.

Focusing too much on telling your business story or a long list of services can also be turning visitors away. What people want to know is how you are going to solve their problems and make their lives easier. It doesn’t matter whether you are a provider of financial services or if you sell products in an online store – the principle remains the same.

There are also some basic practical considerations when it comes to user needs – make content easy to read, don’t make your potential clients wade through long pages of text. Remember, time iss the most precious commodity people have, so if you have a lot of content that you think some people may want – that’s a great opportunity to put it in an ebook or a video.

While people do not want to be sold to, it is important to guide users though a website and make it clear what steps they can take next. Putting the same shouty “Contact Us” or “Buy Now” call to action repeated on every page does not count as guidance. It’s important to strike the right balance here, you don’t want to come off to pushy – but you want to make provide the user a path through your website. For example, if a person has gone to an insurance website and read about the life insurance they provide, they may want to get a quick quote online, learn more about what other insurance can be bundled with this one, or calculate their premiums online. They may not necessarily be ready to contact the company directly, but providing them with relevant information will keep them engaged with the website for longer.

If you’d like to learn more about avoiding common mistakes on small business websites join in on our webinar, tonight at 8pm.